Sheet metal roof structure with magnetic anchor means between the fixedly secured margins thereof



R. RIBLET STRUCTURE WITH MAGNETIC ANCHOR MEANS April 28, 1970 J.

SHEET METAL ROOF BETWEEN THE FIXEDLY SECURED MARGINS THEREOF Filed Aug. 19, 1968 IN VEN'IOR. c/QHN R R/BLET ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 52483 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A home or building structure having sheet metal roof panels fixedly secured to inner support members and including magnetic means carried by the support members spaced from points of fixed securement between the panels and the support members so as to magnetically anchor the paneling to the support members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a means of attaching sheet metal panels to inner support members in home or building structures and pertains specifically to a home or building structure having sheet metal roof panels fixedly secured by nails or similar means to rafters. Magnetic means are carried by the support members at points spaced from the points of fixed nail or screw securement between the panels and the support members to magnetically anchor the panels to the support members. In this manner the panels are firmly held along their entire length against the support members.

Heretofore, thin sheet metal roof panels have been interlocked along parallel margins in a seal tight joint and attached at their ends to a structural frame, such as the frame of a mobile home or travel trailer, by means of nails, screws, staples or similar sheet metal penetrating securement means. The metal panels are usually employed on relatively flat decks or roofs or on transversely arched vehicle roofs, and securing members are seldom applied along or near the interlocked margins because of the leakage problem such an arrangement would create. This leaves spans of paneling between points of fixed securement of the panels to the frame which are not secured to the underlying rafters. When the structure, mobile home or travel trailer is subjected to strong winds, the unsecured spans of light weight, flexible roof panels vibrate or flex, thereby causing a rumbling or similar noise within the structure, mobile home or travel trailer which is disturbing to its occupants.

It has been a practice in the past to apply tar and granular material to the roof of a mobile home in an effort to dampen the vibrative effect of the unsecured spans of the roof paneling, but in hot weather the tar has a tendency to bleed and run down the sides of the home resulting in discoloration of the side panels. Another expedient to solve the noise problem in the past has been the application of fiber board strips to the tops of roof rafters for engagement by the metal roofing, but this has not greatly reduced the vibrative noise.

In this invention, magnetic means, such as small flat bar magnets, horseshoe magnets or tape-like magnets, are applied and secured at spaced points to the rafters so as to magnetically anchor the metal panels to the support members and thereby dampen the vibrative tendency of the paneling and substantially eliminate the rumbling noise created when the structure, mobile home or travel trailer is subjected to strong winds. In this manner, the rumbling caused by the flexing or vibration of the panels ice is eliminated without increasing the incidence of leakage or impairing the joint seals and the water tightness of the roof. Any repair or replacement of the panels can be accomplished with the removal of only a minimal number of nails, screws or other similar securement means.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a building or home structure having sheet metal roof paneling anchored by magnetic means between margins thereof secured to inner support members.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a building or home structure having interlocked sheet metal paneling secured in such a manner to inner support members as to eliminate the noise resulting from flexing or vibration of the panels when the building or home structure is subjected to winds.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a building or home structure having sheet metal paneling anchored in such a manner to inner support members so as to have firm contact with the support members at multiple spaced points and maximum seal tight integrity.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the inventions description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a mobile home having portions of the roof panels broken away to illustrate one embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 1A is a fragmentary detail view showing one of the magnetic means attached to a rafter of the mobile home in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a rafter from a mobile home illustrating another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a mobile home with portions of the roof panels and roof insulation board broken away to illustrate another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail cross-sectional view of a roof panel joint taken along line 44 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiments illustrated are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. They are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and their application and use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

One embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 as having application to a mobile home 5 or a travel trailer. Mobile home 5 includes thin outer sheet metal side panels 10, end panels 12 and roof panels 14 which are fixedly secured by nails, screws or similar means (not shown) to the vehicle body frame at selected studs, rafters and other inner support members. Sheet metal panels 14 are of a ferrous or other magnetically attractable composition and are usually of thin gauge, light weight and quite flexible. The side and end panels are secured to the frame with overlapping horizontal joints and are anchored by nails or screws. The top or roof panels 14 are preferably provided at adjacent margins with upwardly return bent flanges 35 anchored by parallel cap strips 36 having downwardly inwardly return bent flanges 37 interlocking with the panel flanges as shown in FIG. 4. The roof panels are nailed or otherwise secured along opposite edges 15 to the vehicle frame at the upper side portions of the frame overlapping the side panels 10. The endmost roof panels are secured at edges 17 to the ends of the vehicle frame.

Horseshoe magnets 22 are spaced longitudinally along sides 23 of the rafters 20 of mobile home 5 and are secured thereto by staples, nails or other similar means 25. Magnets 22 are preferably carried by rafters 20.

spaced from points of fixed nail or screw securement of roof panels 14. Each magnet 22 preferably has its pole surfaces positioned in or just slightly above the plane of the upper edge 21 of its supporting rafter 20, as shown in FIG. 1A. In this manner, overlying panels 14 are magnetically attracted towards rafters 20 and held in a static relationship thereto.

seated in recesses in the upper edges 21 of rafters 20 and may be held there by securing screws or nails or by an adhesive "or bonding agent. The upper surfaces of bar. magnets 28 preferably lie in the same plane as or protrude slightly above upper surface 21 of the rafters 20' which mount them. t

In FIG. 3, the mobile home 5 of FIG. 1 is modified to include fiberboard 30 which is laid over and secured to the mobile home rafters. Interlocking roof panels 14 are laid over the fiberboard 30 and are fixedly secured to the upper margin of the vehicle frame by means of nails, screws or similar means. Spaced fiat bar magnets 29 may be embedded in fiberboard 30 or seated in recesses or apertures in the fiberboard and suitably secured thereto by means of an adhesive or bonding agent or secured to the rafters by nails. The upper surfaces of bar magnets 29 preferably lie in. substantially the same plane as or project slightly above the upper surface of fiberboard 30.

magnets. The magnets may be of the horseshoe and fiat bar types or may be magnetic strips or tapes extending longitudinally of the rafters.

. In the FIG. 2 construction, flat bar magnets 28 are What I claim is:

1. In a building structure having magnetically attractable roof panels fixerly secured to a frame having inner support members, the improvement comprising magnetic means carried by said support members and spaced from the points of fixed securement bet-ween said panels and said support members to magnetically anchor said panels to said support members.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said support members have recesses therein confronting said panels, said magnetic means being fixedly seated within said recesses.

3. The structure of claiml, wherein said magnetic I means are elongated and are secured to and extend longitudinally at the upper surfaces of said support members.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein said support members include rafters and wherein said magnetic means include magnets secured to said rafters, said magnets having pole portions substantially positioned in the planes of the panel confronting surfaces of said rafters.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,951,311 9/1960 Luther 52-518 X 2,993,571; 7/1961 Hawkins 52- -483 X 3,121,977 2/1964 Bersudsky 52-314 3,292,328 12/1966 Lewis et a1 52-483 X FOREIGN PATENTS 717,333 10/1954- Great Britain. 860,126 2/ 1961 Great Britain.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner I US. 01. X.R. 5286, 461, 543; 296-137 

